The present invention relates to a front end loader attachment for utility tractors, and more specifically, to a front end loader attachment having multi-purpose tools for use on skid steer loaders or other similar vehicles.
Often times, industries such as factory yards, building sites, and farms utilize skid steer loaders. Skid steer loaders are small vehicles, typically having four wheels, which steer the vehicle by varying the speed of each individual wheel. Due to the unique steering method, skid steers are easily maneuverable in tight quarters. Thus, skid steer loaders have proven to be very efficient and necessary in many work situations having limited space.
As skid steers have increased in popularity, manufacturers have found it profitable to make large numbers of attachments for the front of skid steer loaders. These attachments include: snow blowers, sandbagging devices, log moving equipment, buckets, hole drilling equipment, and the like. The various attachments are limited only by the ability of the skid steers and the user""s needs.
A prime example of the use of skid steers is in the farm yard. A farmer may typically need to move large barrels of chemicals, oil, and fuel from location to location. These needs may also include finding an easy way to tip the barrel to empty its contents. Farmers may also use an attachment for moving logs, telephone poles and large fence posts. It may be necessary in this situation to have some type of attachment that will articulate so a pole may be picked up if laying on its side, moved to proper location and rotated so that it may be placed, for example in a fence post hole or a telephone pole hole.
Though skid steer loaders have the convenience of attachment devices, users have encountered difficulties when utilizing several front end loader attachments at a job site. Some of these problems include: down time between connecting a new tool, connecting the hydraulics and control lines to the skid steer, and familiarizing the driver of the skid steer with the new controls of each different device. Users at a given location often may need several attachments to complete a given job.
In the past, a user would need to buy all of the attachments individually. The attachments are costly and each attachment may have redundant parts located on existing attachments, such as hydraulic cylinders, control lines and an attachment means for connecting to the skid steer loader. Often times, a user may spend a large sum of money on parts he may not need.
From this discussion, it can be seen that it would be desirable to provide a structure for skid steer loaders. This structure would need to readily attach to the skid steer loader, have a power means such as hydraulic cylinders and control lines that could be reused from attachment to attachment, and have a means of easily, quickly and inexpensively attaching various implements to the attachment means. Further, it may be desirable to provide such an attachment that provides many directions of movement for the attachment, including the ability to rotate. This problem has been solved by supplying a universal attachment mechanism for skid steers, having a hydraulically controlled cylinder, which may attach to the skid steer at an attachment point to which various tools may be affixed. Further, this attachment point is supplied with a control cylinder which allows the attachment point to rotate. Thus, the attachment point is able to minimize the expense while maximizing the number of tools a given user may have.
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a means of pivotally mounting a plurality of tools to the forward end of a front end loader to be used in a number of applications that would allow a single person to handle and move heavy or bulky objects that would normally require the assistance of two or more persons.
It is an additional objective of the present invention to provide such a means that is configured in a manner that would allow a single individual to easily change and secure the tools to the front end loader, thus, allowing him to accomplish a number of tasks without the aid of other people.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide such a means that will allow an individual operator to not only manipulate an object in a vertical manner but also to change its orientation by rotating it around the central axis of the attachment.
It is a still further objective of the present invention to provide such a means of enabling an individual to manipulate heavy objects that is not only effective, but also inexpensive to own and operate.
These objectives are accomplished by the use of a frame apparatus that fits on the loader arms of a skid steer tractor. The frame apparatus serves as a platform upon which a plurality of hydraulically driven tools can be employed to grasp, lift and transport heavy objects such as oil drums and telephone poles. The hydraulically driven tools are designed in a manner that allows them to be easily installed on, and removed from, the frame apparatus by one person. This is accomplished by having a frame member as part of the tool that slides over the end of the attached frame apparatus and is held in place by passing a pin through both of the attached frame members. This design enables a single person to lift and move objects that would normally require two or more persons to accomplish.
Additionally, the present invention employs a pivotal mounting system in the attachment of the tools to the front end of the skid steer loader. This configuration allows the operator of the loader to not only pick up and transport large and heavy objects, but also to manipulate them rotationally around the central axis of the invention. The design of this feature is especially useful in working with objects such as telephone poles as it allows the operator to pick up a pole that is oriented in the horizontal plane and rotate to the vertical plane. Once the pole has rotated into position, it can then be placed into position vertically within a hole that has been dug specifically for that purpose. Additionally, the rotational ability of the present invention also enhances the flexibility of the plurality of tools that can be attached to the front end of a skid steer loader.
The rotation of the pivotal attachment plate component of the present invention is accomplished through the use of the pivot hydraulic cylinder. The pivot hydraulic cylinder is attached at its inner end to the lower inside edge of the pivot plate and at its outer end to the attachment bracket located at the outside edge of the attachment plate. This hydraulic cylinder is controlled by the skid steer operator through the skid steer""s hydraulic system and the pressure and return hydraulic lines that are connected to it. By activating the cylinder it expands and forces the bottom of the pivot plate to rotate. This rotation of the pivot plate forces the central beam to also rotate which in turn imparts this rotational force to any of the tools attached to the present invention. Conversely, the retraction of the pivot hydraulic cylinder brings the pivot plate and any tool connected to it back to its original upright position.
The individual tools attached to the present invention are driven by a hydraulic cylinder which is mounted to the upper surface of the central beam and is also supplied with hydraulic pressure from the skid steer""s system. The hydraulic cylinder is used generally to articulate the upper member of the attached tool. Thus, for example the skid steer operator controls the the hydraulic cylinder which in turn articulates the components of the attachment which allows the operator to accomplish the desired job.